1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy. More particularly, the present invention the relates to an apparatus that converts energy provided by waves in a body of water into electricity. More particularly, the present invention relates to wave energy conversion that utilizes hydraulics in association with a pendulum for the production of electrical energy.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
With rising oil prices, more and more efforts are being made to find alternative energy sources. Alternative energy sources include biomass (such as biodiesel), geothermal energy, solar energy, wind energy, and wave power. Wave power is a form of renewable energy. Therefore, wave power is a very desirable alternative to non-renewable sources, such as oil and coal. The systems that harness the energy of waves are commonly referred to as wave energy converters (WECs). The technology for wave power energy conversion is in the early stages in that much research and development is going into technology relating to the conversion of wave energy to electricity.
A WEC is device that converts the mechanical energy of the waves of a body of water, such as the ocean, into electrical energy. The electrical energy is typically in the form of electricity. The obvious benefit of utilizing the motion of waves for the production of electrical energy is the abundance of ocean waves, the low cost of converting wave energy into electrical energy, extremely low emissions in such conversion, and very little environmental impact of devices that perform such a conversion.
Many attempts to harness wave energy have yielded varying degrees of success. For example, several foreign companies have engineered and fielded new WEC concepts. Most of the companies involved in bringing these various concepts to market are located in Europe where mandates for sustainable renewable energy supplies follow the Kyoto Accord for reduction in carbon emissions. Several European nations are signatories to the Kyoto Accord and therefor have set forth various goals for implementing new power generating technologies, including onshore and offshore wind farms, WECs, and subsea turbine devices utilizing stable ocean and river currents. European nations lead the United States in the pursuit of alternative energies. For example, the Norwegian classification authority (Det Norske Veritas) has guidelines for the design and construction of WECs. Therefore, there is a need for the development of WECs in the United States.
In order to fully maximize the use of wave power, a WEC must adapt to the prevailing wave environment. That is, the apparatus must adapt to the transient amplitude, frequency, and phase of the waves of a body of water. One problem associated with WECs is that to adapt to the transient nature of waves, the apparatus of the WEC must change a mass, stiffness or damping characteristic. Many WECs are not equipped to respond to the changes in waves. The ability of a WEC to respond to transient waves requires additional components and complexity, which further compounds the potential maintenance and reliability issues of a WEC.
Another problem associated with current WECs is that the parts that convert wave energy to electrical energy are exposed directly to the environment. Therefore, these parts are subject to corrosion and disrepair. Thus, there is a need for a WEC that protects the energy-converting parts from the environment.
Various patents have been issued relating to WECs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,305,823, issued on Dec. 11, 2007 to Stewart et al., discloses a wave energy converter having two elements intended to be placed in a body of water. The two elements are able to move relative to each other in response to forces applied to the wave energy converter by the body of water. At least one of the two elements is a wave energy absorber. A mechanism is connected between the two elements so as to extract energy from the wave energy converter for producing output electric energy as a function of the movement between the two elements. Another mechanism is connected between a source of energy and one of the two elements. The mechanism senses and determines the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of one of the two elements relative to the other for selectively and actively supplying energy to one of the two elements so as to cause an increase in the displacement and velocity of one of the two elements relative to the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,904, issued on Sep. 18, 2001 to Carroll, discloses an open-ended tube that is mounted in a fixed, vertical orientation within a body of water. The top and bottom ends of the tube are positioned at preselected depths relative to an average water level. The tube-top open end is disposed at a first depth approximately equal to, but not less than, the maximum preselected wave amplitude so that the top end is always submerged. The tube-bottom open end is disposed at a depth where the energy level associated with preselected waves of maximum wavelength is small. Water flows into and out of the tube in response to pressure variations caused by passing waves. A piston is disposed within the tube for converting the water flow to useful energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,352,073, issued on Apr. 1, 2008 to Ames, discloses an ocean wave energy converter that has a generator with a rotating inner rotor surrounded by a counter-rotating outer rotor for generating electricity. A reciprocating drive rod drives the inner rotor on the downstroke of the drive rod and the outer rotor on the upstroke of the drive rod through a gear-driven driveshaft with clutches. A buoy is attached to an end of the drive rod whereby the undulation of the ocean waves relative to the buoy reciprocates the drive rod between the upstroke and the downstroke positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,054, issued on Nov. 20, 2007 to Hirsch, discloses a wave energy conversion system that includes a base substantially connected to a wave-medium floor, a tidal platform connected to the base, and a tidal float connected to the tidal platform. An axle is connected to the tidal platform with an inductive coil positioned within the axle such that an axis of the inductive coil is parallel to the axle. A magnetic sleeve includes a magnetic sleeve opening such that the axle passes through the magnetic sleeve opening. A float member is connected to the magnetic sleeve. A moving wave causes displacement of the float member. The float member causes the magnetic sleeve to move relative to the inductive coil and to generate electrical energy within the inductive coil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,795, issued on Apr. 30, 1996 to Epstein et al., discloses an electrical energy generator that has a cylindrical stator, a cylindrical liner of a piezoelectric material in concentric contact with the stator, and an armature rotatable about the liner. In one embodiment, as the armature rotates, the armature squeezes successive portions of the liner against the stator for alternately compressing and decompressing the liner portions for causing them to generate electrical energy. In another embodiment, the armature causes alternating stretching and destretching of successive portions of the liner between spaced-apart portions of the stator for causing the liner portions to generate electricity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,338, issued on May 31, 1988 to Boyce, discloses an apparatus for extracting energy from the waves on a body of water that includes an assembly having a buoyancy sufficient for maintaining the assembly afloat in the water. The apparatus has a series of structures mounted on the assembly that have generally upwardly-oriented beams that have upper ends connected at least indirectly to one another. A pendulum drive shaft is suspended by a cable from the upper end of the beams. Each structure has a pulley at the upper ends of the beams through which a continuous loop of the cable passes so as to suspend the pendulum drive shaft and permit the pendulum drive shaft to rotate. A ratcheted pulley mounted at the lower end of each of the beams has a second continuous loop of cable passing therethrough. The second continuous loop of cable also loops around the pendulum drive shaft causing the pendulum drive shaft to rotate as it swings by rolling within the loop of the second cable which is anchored by the ratcheted pulley. The second cable is prevented from turning by the rachet during the forward swing of the pendulum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,875, issued on Jan. 8, 1985 to Rowe, discloses a buoy generator that has a hollow buoy having inner and outer surfaces, a winding mounted to the buoy parallel to the inner and outer surfaces, a magnetized member freely disposed in all dimensions within the hollow buoy for unrestricted rolling on the inside surface of the hollow buoy whenever the hollow buoy has any rolling movement, and a mechanism connected to an end of the windings for rectifying current flow therefrom. Upon mooring the buoy in the water, the flux lines of the magnetized roller cut the winding when there is water motion. Electrical current is provided by the winding to the rectifying mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,334, issued on Dec. 27, 1983 to Jacobi et al., discloses a wave motion powered electrical generator configured for installation in a buoy. The generator has an inverted pendulum with two windings formed at the free end thereof. The windings are aligned to articulate between two end stops. Each stop is provided with a magnetic circuit. As the loops thus pass through the magnetic circuit, electrical current is induced which may be rectified through a full-way rectifier to charge a battery. The buoy itself may be ballasted to have its fundamental resonance at more than double the wave frequency with the result that during each passing of a wave at least two induction cycles occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,023, issued on Sep. 28, 1982 to Sachs et al., discloses a mechanism for generating power from wave motion on a body of water. The mechanism includes a buoyant body which is adapted to float on a body of water and to roll and pitch in response to the wave motion of the water. A gyro-wave energy transducer is mounted on the buoyant body for translating the pendulum-like motions of the buoyant body into rotational motion. The gyro-wave energy transducer includes a gimbal that has first and second frames. The first frame is pivotally mounted to the second frame. The second frame is pivotally mounted to the buoyant body. A gyroscope is mounted to the first frame for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the first and second frames. A generator is coupled to the gyroscope for maintaining a controlled rotational velocity for the gyroscope. Transferring members are associated with one of the first and second frames for transferring torque of one of the first and second frames to the gyroscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,047, issued on Feb. 23, 1982 to de Almada, discloses an apparatus for harnessing the energy derived from the undulatory motion of a body of water that includes an assembly having a buoyancy sufficient for maintaining it afloat in the water, a first structure substantially following multidirectional undulatory motions of the water, and a second structure mounted in the assembly for free movement in a plurality of planes with respect to the first structure. The second structure is displaceable by gravity and by forces derived from the motions of the first structure. A device is connected to the first and second structures for generating a pressure output in response to the force derived from the relative motions between the first and second structures. An arrangement is coupled to the pressure output of the device for utilizing, at least indirectly, the energy derived from the pressure output.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,143, issued on May 5, 1981 to Ng, discloses an energy conversion device which utilizes the natural movements of ocean waves to produce electrical energy. The apparatus is contained in a tank which is adapted to float near the surface of the water and tilt from side-to-side about a pivot point located below the tank, thereby simulating a pendulum-like movement. A sinker weight is employed to produce the appropriate movement of the tank and maintain the floating tank in balance at the ocean surface. The pendulum motion of the tank is used to roll gravity wheels in the tank in such manner that shafts associated with the gravity wheels are caused to rotate. Electrical generators are operatively connected to the rotating shafts for producing electrical energy from the mechanical rotational energy of the shafts as the tank tilts from side to side with the wave motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,901, issued on Apr. 7, 1981 to Woodbridge, discloses a system for converting the mechanical energy in the wave motion of a body of water into electrical energy. A frame is fixed with respect to the wave motion of the water. A flotation element is buoyantly supported by the water and constrained to follow only the vertical component of the wave motion. The motion of the flotation element is transferred to an electrical generating device which includes a device for producing electromagnetic flux and electrical coils. The motion of the flotation element causes relative motion between the flux-producing device and the electrical coils thereby generating an electromotive force. A positioning subsystem is provided for moving the electrical generating device relative to the flotation element when the average depth of the body of water changes so as to maintain a symmetrical relative motion between the flux-producing device and the electrical coils.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,991, issued on Feb. 24, 1981 to Wood, discloses an apparatus for generating power from the motion of a wave on a body of water that utilizes a spine formed by buoyant sections that are joined end-to-end and are ballasted so as to cause the sections to assume a predetermined position in calm water. Adjacent sections are joined in a manner enabling the sections to pivot more easily about at least one non-vertical axis when the sections are in the predetermined position. When the apparatus is subjected to wave motion the surge component of the wave motion is converted to vertical motion of the spine. Prime movers are mounted on the spine so as to rock relative to the spine under the heave component of wave motion, and under the vertical motion of the spine. The rocking motion of the prime movers is utilized to produce energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,630, issued on Aug. 29, 1978 to Hendel, discloses a wave-powered electric generator. The generator includes a buoyant envelope tethered to a fixed point relative to the sea bottom. The buoyant envelope is water and air-tight. One or more stators and one or more elements moveable by the force of inertia are positioned within the stator. The buoyant envelope is a rectifier for rectifying the electric energy generated by the moveable element. A power transmission mechanism supplies the generated and rectified electric energy to a power station. In a preferred embodiment, a conductive fluid is employed as a moveable element. The fluid is passed through a concentrated magnetic field.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,251 issued on Oct. 3, 1972 to Last et al., discloses an electric generator for deriving electrical energy from oscillatory motion such as that of buoys, vehicles and animals. The generator has a stator and an armature coupled together by a spring mechanism. The coupling generates current when bodily movement of the generator causes, by inertia effects, relative movement of the armature and stator.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0228401, published on Sep. 9, 2010 to Hench, describes a method and apparatus for harnessing power associated with ocean waves and converting that power into electricity. The apparatus is a buoy that houses a vertically-oriented central shaft, a pendulum and a generator. As the buoy tilts from the vertical under the influence of wave motion, the pendulum is accelerated and rotates about the central shaft. A fin array is located along the bottom of the buoy to serve as an anti-torque mechanism and improves the operational efficiency of the electricity production.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,737,569, issued on Jun. 15, 2010 also to S. C. Hench, shows a system and method for converting ocean wave energy into electricity. A buoy is provided that houses a vertically-oriented central shaft, a pendulum, a generator mechanism and other components that synergistically operate to optimize power output of the buoy. The buoy can be part of a network that shares environmental data and a series of best tuning responses to that data, across the network. A library of environmental data and associated tuning responses is built at a central location and shared across the network
U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0228401, published on Sep. 9, 2010 also S. C. Hench, teaches a buoy that houses a vertically-oriented central shaft, a pendulum, a generator mechanism and other components. Both the load on the pendulum and the effective length of the pendulum can be varied in response to changing environmental conditions. The buoy is part of a network that shares environmental data and a series of best tuning responses to that data. A library of environmental data and associated tuning responses is built at a central location and shared across the network.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that improves power generation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that protects critical system components from direct contact with the ocean and its surrounding environment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that reduces long term maintenance costs.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that reduces inactivity due to adverse environmental conditions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that utilizes the flow of hydraulic fluid to produce electrical energy.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that can be placed in any body of water having waves.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that maximizes energy conversion for various wave frequencies.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that maximizes energy conversion for various wave sizes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wave energy converter that utilizes variable damping of a pendulum to produce electrical energy.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.